


Falling into Your Gravity

by the1eyedtree



Series: Dimiclaude Birthday Week 2020 [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Almost Drowning, Day 1, Dimiclaude Birthday Week (Fire Emblem), Falling In Love, Intrusive Thoughts, Stargazing, These boys being cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:42:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25945291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the1eyedtree/pseuds/the1eyedtree
Summary: Day 1 of Dimiclaude Birthday Week -- Theme: Stargazing, Day & Night, OceanClaude finds himself seeking the quiet solace of the stars, but he's pulled instead to Dimitri....and finds a whole new meaning to "falling for someone."
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Series: Dimiclaude Birthday Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1883053
Comments: 4
Kudos: 42





	Falling into Your Gravity

Gravity was a very important concept to know for a wyvern rider. Yet, Fódlan seemed to barely have a grasp on the actual science of gravity. Claude sighed and twisted his braid in thought as he finished reading another “science” book in the monastery library. He’d personally consider it to be more of a poetry book by the way it described its subject matter. This was supposed to be an _astronomy_ book, not “as Sirius sparkles in the darkness of night, the other stars shine in kind to bring forth the united light of the Goddess’s love.”

_How the hell was that astronomy???_

Do the people of Fódlan not know about the stars and planets? About their gravity that pushed and pulled across the emptiness of the universe, creating the very planet they were on? Yes, it sounded pretty to say “the moon dances across the sky” but it was ludicrous to ignore the fact that the moon was _orbiting_ them, and they were _orbiting_ the sun. Claude didn’t want to know the church’s explanation for _tides_ …

He was getting frustrated. This was supposed to be his relaxing down time also known as “bedtime”. Yet his mind was more alight and buzzing than before he settled in the quiet library. He should stop for now – he can’t afford to succumb to petty frustrations when he was so close to making progress on his dreams. Plus, he really didn’t want anyone to notice any true annoyance he had with the church – that would be dangerous.

He closed the disappointing book and returned it to the shelf, dousing his candle on the way out. His steps were the kind of practiced quiet that would require an equally practiced ear to pick up. His mind refused to calm as he walked, so he amended his trajectory to take him to the dock instead of the dorms. At least if he got caught out there, he would be less likely to get into trouble. Excuses like “I couldn’t sleep,” or even “I thought I heard the Goddess,” seemed to work in such situations. But as he crept closer to the dock, he noticed he wasn’t the only one seeking the solace of the quiet of the night.

He recognized the silhouette of one Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd perched at the end of the dock. He should turn and head up to his room, as he was seeking to remain alone.

But…

_The moon didn’t dance across the sky, it orbited their home…caught in its gravitational pull, never to escape. Round and round each other they go as they fall into the gravity of the sun…Does the moon know about the sun? Does Dimitri know that Claude was caught in his gravity and wanting to pull him ever closer?_

Claude’s steps remained silent, yet they did not turn to the dorms as he intended. He couldn’t _not_ step towards Dimitri. His curiosity as to what the prince was doing out under the stars was like his own gravitational pull. Claude stepped onto the dock.

“Your princeliness?” he quietly called out. Dimitri’s shoulders tensed, and he turned his head to confirm that it was in fact Claude behind him.

“Claude.” Came his quiet reply. Claude slowly approached, not really being able to stop himself until he was met with the edge of the dock. He let gravity guide him down to perch by Dimitri. Their legs dangled over the still water, and silence settled between them.

Claude refused to look at Dimitri. A courtesy for dropping in suddenly, he told himself. So, he missed the way Dimitri looked at him for a few moments, taking in the way the soft moonlight caressed his skin and searching for a hint as to why Claude would even want to sit next to him.

Gravity was a very important concept to know for someone who wields lances and spears. Yet, Dimitri always wondered if there was more. Just as gravity would pull a spear down and away from its mark more often than he would like, he felt himself being pulled towards the Golden Deer leader _more often than he would like_ … Not that he didn’t like Claude – or want to be around him, Goddess knows that’s not what he’s feeling…

But Dimitri had a personal mission that he could not ignore. He did not have time to let his mind be pulled away from his vengeful search especially for something trivial like attraction. He spent more times a day than he thinks would really be necessary telling himself that being near Claude was _useful_. Claude was smart. Claude was resourceful – Dimitri often found himself picking up the books Claude had just shelved because if Claude thought they were worth reading, then surely Dimitri should too. Claude was useful.

Claude was _beautiful_.

Dimitri had meant to look away after assessing why Claude was suddenly next to him. But his gaze seemed to be stuck on the ~~cute~~ upward turn of his nose.

_Does the sun know about the moon? And how it can only shine because of the sun’s light, and how the sun’s pull constantly wants to steal it away from its orbit around their home? Does Claude know that he was pulling away all of Dimitri’s thoughts?_

Dimitri was so lost in his thoughts that he totally missed whatever Claude had just said to him.

“What?” his voice sounded so quiet under the sound of his own blood rushing through his ears. Claude huffed a gentle laugh.

“I was just saying that tonight’s so clear you can see some constellations that normally like to stay hidden,” Claude said, his voice still quiet on the off chance that anyone might be lurking around.

 _‘Normally like to stay hidden’? Sounds more like Claude than the stars_.

“I see, yes…” Dimitri was not sure what to say, but he felt the internal need to at least attempt to finish his sentence. “The stars are lovely and comforting.”

“Comforting,” Claude echoed in agreement. Dimitri let the conversation lapse into silence – if Claude needed comfort from the night sky too, then he would not take that away from him. They sat under the stars in silence for a few minutes.

Dimitri could feel the pull of gravity in his bones, feeling only the physical fatigue and not the exhaustion that should accompany it that would allow him to sleep. He leaned back to alleviate his tired body. But gravity pulled and tugged at him until he let his arms fall behind him to catch himself. But his right hand did not connect with the dock as his left hand did. Dimitri furrowed his brow and glanced down at his hand which was now _on top of Claude’s hand_.

 _Oh_.

 _Oh no_.

Dimitri slowly raised his eyes to sneak a peek at Claude. Claude was as still as the water below them and glancing at him from the corner of his eye. Dimitri should move his hand back – this was probably very rude of him. But he felt as though gravity was pinning him there. A stupid thought perhaps, given Dimitri’s natural strength. But the longer they sat there, the more Dimitri realized that Claude had yet to move his hand _away_. Butterflies danced in his stomach, and he tried desperately to get a hold of his mind.

_~~Claude hates this.~~ _

_~~Why are you even trying?~~ _

_~~He already hates you.~~ _

_~~You don’t deserve love.~~ _

_~~Avenge us first.~~ _

_~~There is no hope.~~ _

_~~You will forever be lost.~~ _ ~~~~

“Dimitri?”

_~~You’re wasting his time.~~ _

_~~You’re wasting your time.~~ _

“Hey, it’s okay.”

_~~You were never okay.~~ _

_~~Hurt him.~~ _

_~~You cannot feel this way.~~ _

_~~It’s a lie.~~ _

_~~LIE.~~ _

“Come back to me, shh it’s okay…”

Dimitri jumped when he finally registered that Claude was speaking to him and also looked very worried. And he only realized that Claude had laced their fingers together and was properly holding his hand because….

Gravity…

Gravity is what makes you _fall_.

Dimitri felt himself slip off the dock and Claude was yanked down with him because they were holding hands.

_They were holding hands!_

The water was cold enough to finally bring Dimitri back to the present. He kicked and moved his arms until he broke the surface of the water. He couldn’t feel Claude’s hand and looked around hurriedly. Claude broke the surface a second later and flailed his arms a little. He sucked in a deep breath but started to sink again.

_Oh._

_Claude can’t swim it would seem._

Dimitri took a deep breath and swam over to Claude, hooking his arm around his chest and hauling him back up to the surface. Dimitri swam to the little ladder on the side of the dock and hoisted Claude onto it. Claude scrambled up the ladder and collapsed onto his back on the dock. Dimitri followed in suit.

They laid there, gasping for air and staring bewilderedly at the night sky.

“I’m so sorry…” Dimitri said, his voice sounding small.

“I didn’t think I could even _metaphorically fall_ for someone, let alone _literally_ , yet here I am…” Claude clapped his hand over his mouth when he realized he said that out loud. Dimitri sat up so he could look at Claude and make sure he was okay.

 _Wait_.

“Fall for someone?” Dimitri echoed, his eyebrows raised. His mind recognized the pun before the actual implications, so his amused snort was cut short. “Claude?”

“I-it’s really cold now!”

“Wait don’t change the subject – did you just say you-,”

“ _Freezing!!_ Absolutely frigid – I think I’m going to die!” In Claude’s defense, it _was_ winter, and they were now fully soaked in pond water. “I sho- _ACHOO!!_ ”

Both of them freeze as Claude’s ~~cute~~ sneeze echoed around the whole damn monastery.

“Uh oh…” Claude muttered.

“We should go before we’re caught.”

“Yeah.”

Dimitri got up and carefully pulled Claude up to his feet. His momentum caused their chests to bump, and Claude looked up at Dimitri. For a brief moment, he didn’t feel the cold. But that moment was shattered when the wind gusted around them. Claude nearly jumped in the air and turned to high tail it to his room. Dimitri turned to follow.

It took them exactly four steps to realize that they were holding hands again. 

**Author's Note:**

> Yay it's Dimiclaude Bday Week!! I say "stargazing" I couldn't not think of space lol. Thanks for reading!!


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